02 AUGUST 2015

Australia's best known boxing writer today, Paul Upham is the Content Editor of SecondsOut.com and has written for this website continuously since 2000. The Editor of the Australian Boxing Almanac, he has also written pieces for The Australian newspaper, Fox Sports, Main Event Television, KO and The Ring. 36 year-old Upham has appeared live on air as a boxing analyst for Main Event Pay-Per-View, Sky Channel, Fox Sports, Sky News Australia, SBS television, Radio 2UE Sydney, Radio SEN Melbourne and writes monthly for The Fist magazine. He is a member of The Ring magazine's world ratings panel. Paul Upham called the Ricky Hatton-Kostya Tszyu fight live from Manchester, England for a world wide viewing audience in the multi millions in more than 60 countries. In 2006 and 2007 he Emceed the Australian Boxing Hall of Fame Annual Induction Dinner in Melbourne and for the last few years has hosted the successful Kostya Tszyu live stage show. His new book on Kostya Tszyu - "Something Worth Fighting For" - was published in October 2007 by ABC Books.

By Paul Upham: Former pound for pound leader Roy Jones Jr continued the promotion for his next fight against Danny Green in Australia with an outdoor appearance and boxing training session in busy Martin Place, Sydney City on Thursday morning October 1.

By Paul Upham in Sydney: The last time they met outside the ring in Biloxi, Mississippi in August it was all smiles. But the mood was decidedly different at the Quay Restaurant in Circular Quay on Wednesday morning when Danny Green and Roy Jones Jr fronted the media to promote their IBO cruiserweight world title boxing match on December 2 at Acer Arena in Homebush.

By Paul Upham: Former undisputed junior welterweight boxing world champion Kostya Tszyu says current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao should expect a tough fight from 28 year-old Miguel Cotto when they clash on November 14.

By Paul Upham: While he remains one of the most recognisable boxers on the planet after his starring role in a golden era of boxing, Sugar Ray Leonard doesn’t look like a former fighter. His face is smooth and clear. The record book says he is 53 years of age, but he doesn’t look a day over forty. As sweet as he looked in the ring during his prime, retirement seems to be agreeable to the Hall of Famer with the biggest and brightest smile in the room.

By Paul Upham: While they have other important fights in front of them before the end of the year, one of the matches boxing fans would most like to see in 2010 is Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. Hall of Fame legend Sugar Ray Leonard says that is the sort of fight which can help lift boxing back to where it once stood at the top of mainstream sport.

By Paul Upham: Australian thee-division boxing world champion Jeff Fenech feels honoured to be nominated among the top ten best ever featherweights as part of the World’s Greatest Ever Boxer event to be held in Las Vegas, USA over 2-4 October 2009.

By Paul Upham in Cronulla: Boxer-promoter Ryan Waters came from behind and won by 8th round TKO stoppage to retain his WBO Oriental junior middleweight boxing title against Shannon McMahon on Friday night July 30 at Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club in Sydney, NSW. The twelve round match headlined a Water’ Left Hook Promotions card.

By Paul Upham: USA The Contender series three champion Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika sent out an ominous warning to Australian rival Anthony Mundine and the entire super middleweight division with a brutal 1st round knockout win over Nestor Casanova on Thursday night at the Orion Centre in Campsie, NSW. Bika’s win headlined a card by Fidel Tukel’s The Empire group, televised live around Australia on ONE HD.

By Paul Upham: Boxer-promoter Ryan Waters defends his WBO Oriental junior middleweight title against Shannon McMahon on Friday night July 30 at Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club in Sydney, NSW, headlining his own Left Hook Promotions card.

By Paul Upham: USA The Contender series champion Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika makes a welcome return to the ring when he faces Argentine Nestor Casanova at super middleweight. The fourth Superboxer series promotion, presented by Fidel Tukel’s The Empire group, will be held tonight, Thursday July 30 at the Orion Centre in Campsie, NSW.

By Paul Upham: The lethal punches of “Deadly” Robert Medley and a pair of slippery shoes stopped Aswin Cabuy in his tracks for a TKO loss at the beginning of four rounds at junior middleweight on Friday night at The Cube in Campbelltown, Australia, headlining a Grange Old School Boxing promotion.

By Paul Upham: Australian heavyweight boxing champion John Hopoate retained his title with a ten round unanimous points decision win over former champion Bob Mirovic in their rematch on Thursday night July 23 at the AIS Arena in Canberra. The SuperBoxer match headlined a card promoted by Fidel Tukal’s Empire Boxing, televised live on ONE HD.

By Paul Upham: Four time Australian heavyweight champion “Big” Bob Mirovic promised SecondsOut this week that he will knock John Hopoate out cold or make him quit during their SuperBoxer rematch on Thursday night July 23 at the AIS Arena in Canberra. Hopoate says he has heard it all before.

By Paul Upham: Australian boxing cult hero “Big” Bob Mirovic is promising to extract revenge against John “Hoppa” Hopoate when they rematch on Thursday night’s SuperBoxer series at the AIS Arena in Canberra, promoted by Fidel Tukal’s Empire Boxing and televised live around Australia on ONE HD.

By Paul Upham: Manchester boxer Matthew Hatton, the younger brother of former world champion Ricky Hatton, will get a shot at new IBO welterweight boxing world champion Lovemore Ndou at Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park, South Africa on September 12.

By Paul Upham: While many people have praised the announcement of the American Showtime television network’s super middleweight boxing tournament, Sakio Bika is fuming at his omission. The 30 year-old Cameroon born “Scorpion” feels he is once again being ducked by the best boxers at 168lbs.

By Paul Upham: There were quite a few local boxing fans in the St.George and Sutherland districts in Sydney who were aware of the boxing talent of Michael Bolling. After the 25 year-old made his national television debut last Thursday night July 9 at Luna Park on the new SuperBoxer series, the secret is out. Bolling is an exciting, skilled boxer who can fight really hard.

By Paul Upham: IBF bantamweight boxing world champion Joseph Agbeko from Accra, Ghana defended his world title with a unanimous twelve round points decision win in an impressive performance against junior bantamweight world champion Vic Darchinyan on Saturday night at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, televised in the USA on Showtime Championship Boxing.

By Paul Upham: Lovemore “Black Panther” Ndou calls himself ‘old school’ and he proved at the age of 37 he still has something to offer, by winning the IBO welterweight boxing world title on Saturday night with a unanimous points decision win over Phillip “Time Bomb” Ndou at the Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park, South Africa

By Paul Upham: WBC/WBA/IBF junior bantamweight boxing world champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan has weighed in at an amazing 127.7 lbs for his mandated second IBF weigh-in on Saturday morning in preparation for his clash with IBF bantamweight world champion Joseph Agbeko tonight on Showtime Championship Boxing.

By Paul Upham: Billy “The Kid” Dib won the interim WBO Asia Pacific featherweight title with a controversial 1st round knockout win over Japan’s Kenichi Yamaguchi on Thursday night at the Big Top Arena in Luna Park, Sydney. The match headlined the first of the new Superboxer cards promoted by Fidel Tukel and televised live around Australia on Network Ten’s 24 hour free-to-air sports channel ONE.

By Paul Upham: Did you realise it is a great time to be an Australian boxing fan? The remainder of the year 2009 is going to see a number of boxing events which will take the sport to new audiences and hopefully further establish Australian boxing as a surprisingly small but strong country with lots to offer the fans.

By Paul Upham: The first of the new Superboxer series cards to be televised live around Australia on Network Ten’s 24 hour free-to-air sports channel ONE will be held on Thursday July 9 at the Big Top Arena in Luna Park, Sydney.

By Paul Upham: Nigerian born junior middleweight rising boxing star King Davidson, who won the Australian title on June 19, has been elevated to the OPBF No.1 position in the latest ratings. In the previous ratings, Davidson was at No.7.

By Paul Upham: World super flyweight boxing champion Vic "Raging Bull" Darchinyan and his manager Elias Nassar announced on Sunday June 28, from Darchinyan’s Las Vegas-based training camp, that they will be extending their relationship with promoter Gary Shaw... for life!

By Paul Upham: Unknown Australian Jeff “Hitman” Harding walked into the Trump Plaza Convention Center in Atlantic City, USA on June 24, 1989 as a long betting outsider against WBC light heavyweight boxing world champion Dennis Andries. The raw 24 year-old from South Grafton, NSW had only fourteen professional matches on his record as he entered the fight of his life.

By Paul Upham: Hot Sydney based Nigerian prospect King Davidson won the vacant Australian junior middleweight boxing title with a ten round unanimous points decision win over Robert Toomey on Friday night June 19 at the Sutherland Entertainment Centre in Sydney.

By Paul Upham: In the their last fight almost one year to the day Colin Wilson edged a split points decision over Alex Leapai. On Friday night, Leapai was brutal in evening the score with an 8th round knockout win over former Australian heavyweight boxing champion Colin Wilson at the Southport RSL Club in Queensland, headlining an exciting card presented by Jamie Myer Productions.

By Paul Upham: The Australian middleweight and junior middleweight boxing titles will be on the line in separate matches on Friday night at the Sutherland Entertainment Centre in Sutherland, NSW on a card promoted by Fite-Rite.

By Paul Upham: Former Australian heavyweight boxing champion Colin Wilson will be looking for a repeat win over Alex Leapai on Friday night June 19 at the Southport RSL Club in Southport, Queensland, headlining a quality card presented by Jamie Myer Productions.

By Paul Upham in North Ryde: In his long, magnificent Hall of Fame boxing career, there are at least two things Roy Jones Jr hasn’t achieved. Fighting outside of the USA as a professional is one. Winning a world title belt at cruiserweight is another. 40 year-old Jones plans on fulfilling both of those goals with a fight against Danny Green in Australia before the end of 2009.

By Paul Upham: The old saying, you don’t truly appreciate something until it is gone was probably the most appropriate way to describe Danny Green’s return to boxing on Sunday night April 28. The former WBA light heavyweight world champion appeared to be enjoying himself more than ever and the passionate fans who jammed into the Challenge Stadium arena in Perth only wanted to see more.

By Paul Upham: Danny Green’s proposed clash with former welterweight and middleweight world title challenger Shannan "Blaster" Taylor on August 5 at the Wollongong Entertaining Centre in Australia has fallen through. Justin Manolikos, the head of Green Machine Promotions, told Taylor on Thursday that Green was postponing the fight for now.

By Paul Upham: Daniel ‘The Rock’ Dawson left Perth, Western Australian on April 20 to relocate to Los Angeles, California to commence training under fellow Australian Justin Fortune at the Fortune Gym located on Sunset Blvd Hollywood

By Paul Upham: Mick Shaw will battle Solomon Egberime over ten rounds for the vacant Australian welterweight title on Friday night June 12 at the Broncos Leagues Club in Red Hill, Brisbane, Queensland, presented by Ace Boxing Promotions.

By Paul Upham: John Hopoate is set to defend his Australian heavyweight just two months after suffering defeat at the hands of former WBC champion Oliver McCall. The 34 year-old defends his title on July 23.

By Paul Upham: The Sweet Science National Boxing Program on Monday June 8, 2009 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm AEST is episode 150. This week’s Sweet Science is broadcast from Koori Radio in Redfern, Sydney and features the following:

By Paul Upham: WBC/WBA/IBF junior bantamweight boxing world champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan has arrived in Los Angeles, USA for the final weeks of his training camp as he prepares to move up in weight once again on July 11. The Armenian born Australian citizen will challenge IBF bantamweight champion Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko on Showtime Championship Boxing.